'Never just a dog': Internet joins Will Smith in paying tribute to 'I am Legend' canine on National Pet Day

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Will Smith has celebrated the National Pet Day by paying an adorable tribute to the ‘I am Legend’ dog this week. 

On the occasion of National Pet Day on Thursday, April 11, the Oscar-winning superstar shared a video montage of the German Shepherd who played Samantha in the 2007 sci-fi film.

Will Smith pays tribute to ‘I am Legend’ dog

The 55-year-old ‘Aladdin’ star curated the montage with footage of the dog, whose real name is Abbey, both from the film and the promotional events of the Francis Lawrence directorial.

Smith, who developed a special bond with Abbey while filming the movie, showed some behind-the-scene images of Abbey cuddling him in between the shots, per Daily Mail.

He uploaded the video with the caption, “The goodness girl.” 

The 2007 film is based on the post-apocalyptic horror novel by Richard Matheson of the same name and it centers around the story of a scientist and last human survivor of Earth after a plague.

The film deals with the ordeals of Smith’s character Dr Robert Neville and his loyal companion Sam who dies at the end. 

While Sam meets a tragic end at the film’s conclusion, Abbey in real life has enjoyed a long life and turned 16 in 2022. 

Following the massive success of the film, last year, a sequel to the film has been announced starring Will Smith and Michael B Jordan.

Internet reacts to Will Smith's tribute to the legendary dog

The internet was as generous as Will Smith in showering their love for the canine. 

One of the fans recalled an experience from watching the movie as they said, "The last time I cried at a movie was when Samantha died."

Someone else said, "They never disappoint, a man’s best friend ❤️😍😍."

Another fan shared, "My German Shepherd Samantha is now 3 years old. I was inspired by the Samantha in this movie I watched a long time ago, so I named her Samantha. I'm happy to have met her. I'm cheering for you from Japan."

"Never Just A Dog 🐾," declared another fan.

A social media user said, "The times I have cried watching this movie! 😭 The first time I saw it I was with my dog, and let me tell you I know we both cried😪."

"When sam died i cried so much," shared another user.

Another netizen added, "That dog had the most amazing expressions I've ever seen. That dog was ACTING! And yes I, along with everyone else, cried ugly tears when she died."

"I think you should do a movie where you play a Vet 😁," wished a fan.

"Yes so true ❤🙌❤ i cant handle it in a Movie when a dog dies 😢😂😂come on, ppl are dying? No problem 😂but doooogs? 😢😢I cried my eyeballs out when this dog died…i had a german shep too," chimed in another. 

Someone else said, "Sam’s death hit me harder than “marley & me” & that’s saying alot.. A dog isn’t just a dog."

"I let my kids watch this movie when they were 5 & 8 they cried so much and hugged their German shepherd all night 😍," added another fan.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.